Being Prepared for Lightning in July

Saturday wraps up lightning awareness week. Marion County Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Anderson says that lightning can be very dangerous because it’s very difficult to predict. Usually, lightning strikes within 10 miles of its parent storm, but the National Weather Service says it has confirmed bolts striking as far away as 50 miles. Anderson notes that weather can change very quickly in Iowa. He says people need to be aware of their surroundings and use common sense. There were 28 lightning fatalities in the US last year – well below the thirty year average of 53. July is the month with the most lightning fatalities on average. The last lightning fatality in Iowa came in 2008 in Palo Alto County.